Legacy
by angelofmusic1989
Summary: The story of Ben Gates' struggle to redeem his family name, and to redeem his relationship with his daughter.
1. Chapter 1

Eleanor Gates sat in the front row of Our Lady of Sorrow Catholic Church. Her face was streaked with mascara and her nose was running. She had sent her wedding party home two hours ago. There wasn't going to be a rehearsal tonight.

She opened her phone and listened to the voice mail from Riley one more time, just to make sure it was real.

"Hey, Ellie. Um...this is kind of a hard thing to say. Your dad found some new information, and we have to head to Alaska before darkness. I want us to be comfortable, and if we find the treasure, we will be. Please...please wait for me. I love you."

That was it. He couldn't tell her in person. He had to leave her a voice mail. Ellie breathed a big, shuddering sigh, picked up her sweater and her purse, and left the church. By the time she got to her car, the sadness had left, and she was angry. She knew, at that moment, she would never talk to her father or Riley again.


	2. Chapter 2

Six months later

Ellie walked into her office at the National Archives after her lunch break. She set her coffee down on her desk, scanned through her emails, and played her answering machine.

There was a message from her friend Matthew, confirming their date for the gala. A message from her grandpa, letting her know that the Silence Dogood letters were squared away at the Franklin Institute and he had received the paperwork for them. And one message that she had been expecting for six months but never got. And she was hoping that she wouldn't.

"Ellie...hey. It's...it's your dad. I know that you probably hate me right now, and I'm the last person you want to talk to, but I'm in D.C., and I really need to see you. Would you please call me back? I love you very much."

He left a number and then hung up. Ellie pushed herself away from her desk. She stood up and started pacing.

"Do I call him back? No...no, what he did was inexcusable. Both of them. I can't. It's probably about the stupid treasure anyway. No."

She sat back down at her desk. There was a knock at the open door.

"Good morning, Abigail."

"Good morning. Have you ever heard of a Paul Brown?"

"Um...no. Why?"

"He just left my office. Reception says he asked for you first, but she told him that you were out to lunch and sent him to me."

"Hm. Well, I've never heard of him. What did he want?"

"He...he says that the Declaration of Independence is in some kind of trouble, and asked to see it."

"Did you tell him absolutely not?"

"Yeah. He also said...no, never mind."

"What?"

"He said that he believes there's a map on the back of it."

"A map?"

"Yeah. A treasure map."

Ellie's heart fell through her stomach. It couldn't be. Could not be him.

As Abigail left, she came to stinging realization that it couldn't be anyone else but her father. And now he was dragging her and her coworkers into the stupid treasure hunt.

When Ellie returned home that night, she was surprised to find the door unlocked. She took out her cell phone and called Matthew.

"Matt...I need you over here."

"What's up?"

"I'm pretty sure there's someone in my house."

"I'll be right there. Do not go in." He hung up the phone and Ellie put hers back in her pocket. She stood for a moment, and then decided she couldn't wait and slowly pushed the door open. She grabbed her umbrella from the stand by the door and crept into the house slowly. The person was sitting in a chair in the living room, and he slowly stood.


	3. Chapter 3

"Eleanor, it's me."

She screamed and went after him with the umbrella. After a couple of hits, she realized to whom the voice belonged. She reached over and turned on the light.

"BEN? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE? YOU SCARED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He touched the side of his face where she had hit him. "Good aim."

"Very funny. What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"Naval training."

"The Navy teaches you to break into people's homes?"

"Well...I assume you heard that I came to visit you at the office today."

"Yes. I heard that Paul Brown came in with a conspiracy theory."

"Not a conspiracy theory. A...a hunch."

"A hunch. So, you disturbed my coworker and put the entire building on alert for a hunch."

"Yeah, if you want to put it that way."

"I do." There was a knock. "Oh, I forgot."

"You expecting company?"

"I guess that's none of your business. Go in the kitchen, would you? I don't want him to know you're here."

"Him?"

"Go."

She pushed Ben into the kitchen and then answered the door.

"Ellie? Are you alright?" It was Matt.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry. I guess I just...just left the door unlocked today. Thanks for coming over."

"No problem. Have you had dinner?"

"Umm...no. Not yet."

"Well, do you want to go? Since I'm over here already."

"Sure. Let me...let me get my jacket. Go ahead and wait in the car. I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay." Matt kissed her on the temple and left. She closed the door and went to the kitchen.

"Over Riley already, hmm? Who's your boyfriend?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but he isn't my boyfriend. I'm leaving, and you need to leave, too. If you come into my house again, I'll call the police. Go."

"Ellie, baby, I..."

"Go, please."


	4. Chapter 4

It was the night of the fundraising gala. Ellie got ready as soon as she got home from work that evening. Matt was going to pick her up. Ben's words had been haunting her since she last saw him.

"Over Riley already?"

She was. How could she not be? He left the day before their wedding to find a stupid treasure. He had drunk the Gates family Kool-Aid. There was no way she could forgive him.

But was she over him?

No. Of course not.

The doorbell rang, and Matt was standing there looking very dashing in a tuxedo, with a bouquet of flowers for her. After thanking him and putting the flowers in a vase, they were on their way.

The gala was already underway when they got there. She handed her invitation to the guard and put her handbag on the conveyor belt for security. When they were through, Matt went off to find some champagne for them. She heard her name.

"Dr. Gates! Come over here, there's someone I want you to meet."

"Good evening, Dr. Chase. And Mr..."

He turned around. It was Ben.

"Paul Brown. It's a pleasure, Dr. Gates."

"Mr. Brown is the one with the treasure map story, Ellie."

"Ah. Well, that was certainly a bit of entertainment for me in my long day of work, Mr. Brown." Matt came back with a glass of champagne.

"Here you are."

"Thank you. Mr. Brown, this is Dr. Matthew Norris. He's an American History professor at Georgetown."

Dr. Stan Herbert walked over just then, with two glasses of champagne. Abigail was already holding one.

"Here," Ben said. "Why don't you let me take that, so you can take that off his hands."

"Thank you."

"A toast, yeah?" Ben continued. He raised his glass, and the others followed. "To high treason."

The doctors looked at one another.

"That's what these men were committing when they signed the Declaration. Had we lost the war, they would have been hanged, beheaded, drawn and quartered, and- Oh! My personal favorite- had their entrails cut out and burned."

Ben laughed nervously. When no one else laughed, he went on.

"So here's to the men who did what was considered wrong, in order to do what they knew was right."

He looked directly at Ellie when he repeated, "What they knew was right."

Everyone said their cheers, and sipped their champagne. Ben downed his and then bid them all good night. When he left, Ellie told Matt she was going to the ladies' room, and introduced him to some other people. She then followed Ben.

He slid down the hall, and she took her shoes off so he wouldn't hear her. He was talking to someone through an earpiece. When he got to the elevator, he shone a blacklight on the security keyboard. He read the letters to whomever was on the other end of the earpiece. After a few moments of silence, he said,

"It's Valley Forge. It's Valley Forge. She pressed E and L twice." He typed it in and said, "Valley Forge was a turning point in the American Revolution." When he was on the elevator, Ellie waited for it to go down so she could see where he was headed. She should have known. He was going to the Preservation Room.

When the elevator came back up, she put in the password and then went down. When she got to the Preservation Room, Ben was using a small drill to take the cover off of the Declaration case.

"Benjamin Gates! What are you doing?"

"Ellie! I hoped you would follow me. You have to help me."

"No! I won't! I could lose my job. We would both go to prison. There is no map on the back of that thing!"

"There is, Eleanor. Listen, we found the Charlotte."

"What?"

"The Charlotte. It was a ship. In Alaska. She was frozen right into the ground. But we found her, and-"

"That's where you went? There was a ship frozen in tundra and it couldn't have waited two weeks?"

"Sweetheart, listen. We found a Meerschaum pipe. And there was an inscription on it that pointed here. To the Declaration. You're telling me that you're not even a little bit curious?" He tilted his head to the side. "What?"

The other person was talking.

"Okay. We have to go. I'm taking the whole thing. I'll get it out in the elevator." He picked up the case and started running. "Eleanor, let's go!"

"NO!"

"What's going to happen when security finds you down here with no Declaration?"

Ellie thought for a moment, and then threw up her hands and ran into the elevator with Ben. She slipped her shoes back on.

"So, the other day, when there was a broken heat sensor...it wasn't broken, was it? It was all part of your plan."

"Yeah."

"There's only one person who could have helped you with that."

"Mhm."

"Where is he, Ben?"

There was a loud explosion, and men came out of the security door on the other end of the hall. It was led by Ian, Ben's backer. He looked at them both. "He's got the bloody map."

Before either of them could think, the men raised their guns.


	5. Chapter 5

Ben raised the bullet-proof Declaration case to shield them both.

"Ian's here. There was...uh...shooting."

"Why is Ian shooting at us?"

"He wants the map."

"And?"

"And, I wouldn't give it to him. He would destroy the Declaration and keep the treasure for himself. He's got no respect for history."

"Says the man who stole a two hundred year old document and used it as a shield."

"Just...just help me get it out. Please."

Ellie helped Ben undo the rest of the screws and carefully ease the document out of the case. By the time they got out of the elevator, it was safely tucked under his jacket.

"What's your plan now, genius?"

"I'll think of something. I just need to make a quick trip to the gift shop."

"Fine. I have to go find my date. He thinks I've been in the ladies' room this whole time."

"Ah, yes. Dr. Norris. Where did you find that guy?"

"Would you just go, please?"

"Fine. Meet me outside in ten minutes."

Ellie rushed off to find Matt. She did find him, and pulled him aside.

"Hey. I've...I've got a headache. I think I need to go home."

"I'll get your coat."

"No...no, that's okay. You stay; enjoy the party. I'm going to get a cab. It will be fine."

"Okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Yeah." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for coming here with me."

"You're welcome."

Ellie gave Matt one more hug and then got her coat and left the party. Ben was waiting by the door.

"We have to go."

"You think?"

They started walking, and Ben talked into his earpiece. "Stop talking and start the van."

Ben opened the back of the van and suddenly shoved Ellie in. She came face to face with Riley Poole.

"You." She said.

"Me."


	6. Chapter 6

"What are you doing here?"

"Helping him."

"Still?"

"Yeah."

"How do you..."

"Shh...Ben, stop chatting and get in the van!"

Ellie looked out the window. Abigail Chase was trying to wrench the Declaration away from Ben. He gave it away easily and ran to jump in the van.

"Well, that was a waste, wasn't it? Can I get out now?"

"No. She's going to see you get out of the van and get suspicious. Go buckle into the front seat."

"So, what...I'm just in this now?" She said, following his order.

"Yeah, I guess. Riley, GO!"

"We can't just let her go!"

"Yes we can. Now go! Wait...no hold it. Bad, oh bad."

Ian and his henchmen drove up in a lunch truck. They pulled Abigail in. Riley sped after the truck.

"Once we catch up to them, what do we do?" He said.

"I'm working on it!" Ben snapped back.

"Right turn, right turn!" Ellie shouted. A bullet shattered the windshield. Broken glass showered Riley and Ellie.

"Are you alright? Ellie, are you alright?" Riley yelled.

"I'm fine. Watch the road!"

Just as he turned back to the road, the back doors of Ian's truck opened and Abigail swung out, holding onto one of them for dear life. She had the document still.

"Holy Lord!" Riley shouted. Shaw, Ian's right hand man, pointed a gun at her. Ian held him back.

"Get me next to her!" Ben said, unbuckling and opening the sliding door of the van. He extended his arms, and just as Abigail reached them and was pulled into the van, Ian snatched the Declaration from her. Riley sped away from the truck.

"Are you alright?" Ben asked Abigail.

"No! Those lunatics..."

"You're not hurt, are you?"

"You're all lunatics! Eleanor Gates, you are so fired when I tell..."

"Are you hungry?"

"No!"

"Are you alright?" He repeated.

"Still a little on edge from being shot at," Riley interjected, "but I'll be okay. Thanks for asking. Ellie, are you alright?"

She was thinking about the 'getting fired' thing. She hadn't heard him.

"Ellie? Ellie, are you okay?" He asked again.

"What? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Yeah, well, I'm not alright. Those men. They stole the Declaration of Independence!"

"She lost it?!" Riley said.

"They don't have it." Ben took out a document tube and pulled the real Declaration out of it. "See. Now could you please stop shouting?"

"Give me that!" Abigail grabbed at the tube. Ben pulled it away.

"You're still shouting. It's starting to annoy. You would do well, Dr. Chase, to be a bit more civilized in this instance."

"Ben," Ellie said, "if that's the real one, what did they get?"

"A souvenir. I thought it would be a good idea to have a duplicate. It turned out I was right. I actually had to pay for the souvenir and the real one, so you owe me $35, plus tax."

"I don't owe you anything," Ellie said.

"Genius," Riley said to himself.

"Who were those men?"

"Just the men we warned you were going to steal the Declaration."

"And you didn't believe us. Either of you." Riley looked over at Ellie.

"We did the only thing we could do to keep it safe."

"_Verdammt!_ Give me that!"

"You know something, you're shouting again."

"Pretty sure she was swearing, too."

"Well, we probably deserved that. Oh yeah. Ellie, what did you tell your boyfriend you were doing?"

"I told Dr. Norris that I have a headache and I'm going home. I didn't mention that the headache is a walking, talking human being."

"Now that's hurtful."

"Oh, is it? I'm sorry. But you know what else is hurtful? Calling a hundred and fifty people and telling them that the wedding is off the night before. I'd say that's downright humiliating. And for what? For a stupid treasure map."

"There is not a treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence." Abigail interjected herself back into the conversation.

Ben stared at Ellie for another minute and then started shaking the document tube. "And there's no chance anyone can steal this either."

He turned back to Ellie. "Look, I leveled with you one hundred percent. Everything we told you was the truth. There was nothing that Riley or I could do. We had to go."

"I want that document, Mr. Brown."

"Okay...I leveled with _you_ ninety eight percent. My name isn't Brown, it's Gates."

"Wait a minute, did you just say Gates? _Gates?_ Is he your father?"

"I suppose so," Ellie said.

"I should have seen this before. You're that family with the conspiracy theory about the founding fathers."

"It's not a conspiracy theory," Ben said.

"_Per se,"_ Riley and Ellie chimed in at the same time.

"Well, Ellie, I meant it. You are fired when we get back to the archives. This will not stand against the board; I don't care if you were kidnapped or whatever. Your family has no place..."

"Hey!" Ellie shouted. "I've just been pulled into this harebrained plan. I have no idea what's going to happen. You don't have the power to fire me, and at this point, you've got as much involvement as I do. So don't you dare threaten my job."

"You know what? I take it back. You're not liars. You're insane!"

"That was also hurtful," Ben said.

"Now that you have the Declaration, what's the next part of your plan," Ellie asked.

"We've got to run some tests."

"You can't seriously intend to run chemical tests on the Declaration of Independence in the back of a moving van."

"No, Ellie. We've got a clean room environment all set up. EDS suits, a particulate air filtration system, the whole shebang." Riley looked at Ellie, hoping she would be impressed. She was, a little.

"Really?"

"We can't go back there." Ben stared ahead at the road.

"What, why not?"

"Well, remember the genius duplicate plan? There was a hitch. I had to pretend like I was buying a souvenir when I was buying the real one."

"Yeah?"

"And...I didn't have enough cash..."

"A credit card slip?!"

"Riley, calm down."

"Dude, we're on the grid. They're gonna have your records from forever. They're gonna have my records from forever. They're gonna have Ellie's records from forever!"

"I know, I know. It's only a matter of minutes before the FBI shows up at my front door.

"What do we do?"

"We need those letters."

"What letters?"

Ben ignored Abigail. "You know, get off the road. Take a right."


	7. Chapter 7

"You have the original Silence Dogood letters?"

Riley had stopped in a park and they were all sitting in the van while Ben paced. Abigail kept asking him questions.

"Did you steal those, too?"

"We have scans of the originals. Quiet please."

"How did you get scans?"

"Oh, I know the person who has the originals. Now shush."

Another moment of silence. Riley looked over at Ellie and tried to take her hand. She pulled away. Abigail asked another question.

"Why do you need them?"

"She really can't shut her mouth, can she? I'll tell you what, look." He held the Declaration out to her. "I will let you hold onto this if you will promise to shut up, please. Thank you."

"Ben, you know what you have to do," Riley said.

"I know. I'm just trying to think of anything else we could do."

"Well, not to be a...nudge, but you do realize how many people we have after us. We probably have our own satellite by now. It took you all of two seconds to decide to steal the Declaration of Independence."

"Yeah, but I didn't think I was going to have to personally tell my dad about it."

Abigail seized her opportunity and started to run.

"Hey, not cool!"

"Let me go!"

Ben took the tube from her and said, "Okay, you're let go. Go, shoo."

"I'm not going. Not without the Declaration."

"You're not going with the Declaration."

"Yes, I am. I'm not going to let it out of my sight, so I'm going."

"Wait a minute. You're not going with us with the Declaration."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not."

"Look, if you wanted to leave me behind, you shouldn't have told me where you were going."

Ben looked over at Riley and Ellie. They shrugged. He sighed and agreed. They both got back in the van and Riley took off.

They drove to Arlington, and the streets were already silent in the suburbs, even though it was only ten o'clock.

"Looks okay," Riley said.

"He is not going to let you in. And it's not going to do you any good to be there anyway," Ellie said.

"What do you mean? Park a couple of blocks away, Riley."

"Grandpa called me the other day and told me..."

"You know, it's funny to me that you still call him Grandpa but you won't call me Dad."

"Well, maybe it's because he didn't ruin my life."

"That's fair."

"How long do you think we have?" Riley said.

"I"m gonna give them a couple hours. At least. I hope."

"What do we do about her?" He said, indicating Abigail. "I've got some duct tape in the back."

"No, that won't be necessary. She won't be any trouble."

"And Ellie?"

"I'm sitting right here."

"Promise you won't be any trouble?" Ben said.

"I promise."

"See? She's curious."

They parked, and walked the two blocks to Patrick Gates' home. Ben rang the doorbell, and they all waited. Patrick answered the door. After looking at the visitors' attire, he said, "Where's the party?"

"I'm in a little trouble."

Patrick looked at Abigail. "Is she pregnant?"

"Well, if she is, do you want to leave the woman carrying your second grandchild out in the cold?"

Patrick opened the door wider. Abigail stopped Ellie on the way in. "I look pregnant."

Ellie shrugged. "Hi, Grandpa."

"Hi, sweetheart." He whispered to her, "This better not be about that dumb treasure."

"Oh, well of course it is. He's on a rampage."

"Well, have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable. There's some pizza. Still warm, I think."

Riley and Ellie sat in the living room while Ben and Abigail stayed standing.

"Dad, I need the Silence Dogood letters. Yeah, it's about the treasure."

"And he dragged you three into this nonsense?"

"Literally," Abigail said.

"I volunteered," said Riley.

"Well, unvolunteer, before you waste your life. Wasn't it enough for you to leave that girl at the altar last year?"

"Grandpa, it's okay."

"No, it's not okay. This treasure thing has ruined so many lives."

"Dad, knock it off."

Patrick looked indignantly at Ben. "Oh, sure. I'm the family kook. I've got a job, a house, health insurance. At least I had your mother, for however brief a time. At least I had you. What do you have, now that you've lost Ellie the same way I lost your mother? You have him?"

He pointed at Riley.

"Look, just give us the letters, and we're gone."

"You disappoint me, Ben."

"Yeah, well, maybe that's the real Gates family "You have the original Silence Dogood letters?"

Riley had stopped in a park and they were all sitting in the van while Ben paced. Abigail kept asking him questions.

"Did you steal those, too?"

"We have scans of the originals. Quiet please."

"How did you get scans?"

"Oh, I know the person who has the originals. Now shush."

Another moment of silence. Riley looked over at Ellie and tried to take her hand. She pulled away. Abigail asked another question.

"Why do you need them?"

"She really can't shut her mouth, can she? I'll tell you what, look." He held the Declaration out to her. "I will let you hold onto this if you will promise to shut up, please. Thank you."

"Ben, you know what you have to do," Riley said.

"I know. I'm just trying to think of anything else we could do."

"Well, not to be a...nudge, but you do realize how many people we have after us. We probably have our own satellite by now. It took you all of two seconds to decide to steal the Declaration of Independence."

"Yeah, but I didn't think I was going to have to personally tell my dad about it."

Abigail seized her opportunity and started to run.

"Hey, not cool!"

"Let me go!"

Ben took the tube from her and said, "Okay, you're let go. Go, shoo."

"I'm not going. Not without the Declaration."

"You're not going with the Declaration."

"Yes, I am. I'm not going to let it out of my sight, so I'm going."

"Wait a minute. You're not going with us with the Declaration."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not."

"Look, if you wanted to leave me behind, you shouldn't have told me where you were going."

Ben looked over at Riley and Ellie. They shrugged. He sighed and agreed. They both got back in the van and Riley took off.

They drove to Arlington, and the streets were already silent in the suburbs, even though it was only ten o'clock.

"Looks okay," Riley said.

"He is not going to let you in. And it's not going to do you any good to be there anyway," Ellie said.

"What do you mean? Park a couple of blocks away, Riley."

"Grandpa called me the other day and told me..."

"You know, it's funny to me that you still call him Grandpa but you won't call me Dad."

"Well, maybe it's because he didn't ruin my life."

"That's fair."

"How long do you think we have?" Riley said.

"I"m gonna give them a couple hours. At least. I hope."

"What do we do about her?" He said, indicating Abigail. "I've got some duct tape in the back."

"No, that won't be necessary. She won't be any trouble."

"And Ellie?"

"I'm sitting right here."

"Promise you won't be any trouble?" Ben said.

"I promise."

"See? She's curious."

They parked, and walked the two blocks to Patrick Gates' home. Ben rang the doorbell, and they all waited. Patrick answered the door. After looking at the visitors' attire, he said, "Where's the party?"

"I'm in a little trouble."

"Is she pregnant?" He looked at Abigail.

Ben didn't miss a beat. "Well, if she is, do you really want to leave the woman carrying your second grandchild out in the cold?"

Patrick opened the door a little wider. Abigail stopped Ellie on the way in. "I look pregnant?"

Ellie shrugged and hugged Patrick. "Hi, Grandpa."

"Hi, sweetheart. This better not be about that dumb treasure."

"Of course it is. What else? He's on a rampage."

"Have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable. There's some pizza, still warm I think."

Riley and Ellie sat in the living room and Ben and Abigail stayed standing.

"Dad, I need the Silence Dogood Letters. Yeah, it's about the treasure."

"And he dragged you three into this?"

"Literally," Abigail answered.

"I volunteered," Riley said.

"Well, unvolunteer, before you waste your life. Wasn't it enough that he made you leave that girl at the altar last year?"

"Grandpa, it's okay."

"No, it's not okay. I saw my girl, the one that I practically had to raise because of the stupid treasure, heartbroken. Dying on the inside. And for what?"

"Dad, knock it off."

"Sure, sure. I know. I'm the family kook. I have a job, a house, health insurance. At least I had your mother, for however brief a time. At least I had you. And what do you have, now that you ruined Ellie's life? Him?" He pointed at Riley.

"Look, if you just give us the letters, we'll be out of your hair."

"You disappoint me, Ben."

"Yeah, well, maybe that's the real Gates legacy. Sons who disappoint their fathers."

"Get out! And take your troubles with you."

"Stop. Please, stop fighting!" Ellie said. Both men calmed a little.

"Dad, I found the Charlotte."

"The Charlotte? She was a ship?"

"Yeah. And she was beautiful. It was amazing, Dad."

"And the treasure?"

"Yeah, Ben. Did you find the treasure?"

Ben looked from Ellie back to Patrick. "Well, no. But we found another clue that led us here."

"Yeah, and that'll lead you to another clue. And that's all you'll ever find, is another clue. Don't you get it, Ben? I finally figured it out. The legend says that the treasure was buried to keep it from the British but what really happened is that the legend was invented to keep the British occupied searching for buried treasure. The treasure is a myth."

"I refuse to believe that."

"Well, you can believe what you want. You're a grown person. What am I doing? Do what you want, Ben. Do what you want."

"He's probably right. You don't even know if there is another clue."

"Well, I can think of a way we can find out, and we can find out right now."


End file.
